Portugal vs Nigeria Predictions

• Portugal have won four of their last five friendly matches, including their last three at home.
• Nigeria have lost their last four senior international friendlies.
• Nigeria are without leading striker Victor Osimhen and centre-back Calvin Bassey with knocks

Portugal to pick apart struggling Super Eagles

Portugal will put the finishing touches to their preparations for the World Cup with a home friendly against three-time African champions Nigeria on Thursday night. Fernando Santos’ side should jet off to Qatar on the back of a win against a weakened Super Eagles squad.

Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro is without the services of leading striker Victor Osimhen and centre-back Calvin Bassey due to knocks they sustained with their clubs at the weekend. He was already forced to cope without Ola Aina, Zaidu Sanusi, Jamilu Collins, Semi Ajayi and Leon Balogun – all as a result of injuries.

Missing most of his first-choice defence, it will be difficult for Peseiro to come up with a gameplan to contain a very bright attacking side in Portugal. The former European champions scored 11 goals across their six Nations League games earlier this year and will want to give an expected 40,000-plus crowd at the Alvalade plenty to cheer about.

‘Job done’ scoreline on the cards for hosts

Ultimately, though, the result is unimportant to Selecao and that makes it a tricky betting proposition. The establishment of the Nations League mean Portugal have not played many friendlies recently, but their record is good.

They usually keep clean sheets against inferior opponents in such games, but the number of substitutions likely to be made on Thursday and the proximity to the World Cup make backing them to blank Nigeria somewhat risky too. The safest play given Portugal’s solid friendly record and Nigeria’s run of four straight defeats in them is to take the 1/3 on offer for a home win and leave it at that.

A slight odds boost can be obtained by taking the hosts to score more than once and a 2-0 home success seems to have solid potential because Portugal have scored multiple goals in five of their last eight matches and four of their last five friendlies. Nigeria, on the other hand, have shipped nine and scored just two in their last four friendlies while never hitting the back of the net more than once.